Sunset Trail (1938)

William Boyd, alias "Hopalong Cassidy," dons the guise of fop in order to catch the bad guys in this above-average series entry co-starring Russell Hayden and George "Gabby" Hayes. When Silver City rancher John Marsh (Kenneth Harlan) is killed by casino owner Monte Keller (Robert Fiske) after selling Keller his herd for 30,000 dollars, his widow, Ann Marsh (Charlotte Wynters), and daughter, Dorrie (Jan Clayton), are convinced to return to Silver City and open a dude ranch. Among the premiere guests is one William H. Cassidy, an Eastern hypochondriac who in reality is Hopalong Cassidy (William Boyd) in disguise. Also incognito at the ranch are Hoppy's Bar 20 cohorts, Lucky Jenkins (Russell Hayden) and Windy Halliday (George "Gabby" Hayes), the latter spending most of his spare time fending off lovesick spinster Abigail Snodgrass (Kathryn Sheldon). Pretending to be a gambling fool, Hoppy manages to win back some of the yellowbacks stolen from the late John Marsh, and, together with Ann, sets a trap for the evil Keller. Taking a rare breather from the action, Jan Clayton sings "A Cowgirl Dreams On" by Stanley Cowan and Bobby Worth ~ Hans J. Wollstein, Rovi